[ EDITORIAL ]

Rain Results in Pollution: Lake Okeechobee Rising

Published: Friday, September 20, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, September 19, 2013 at 11:59 p.m.

Human efforts to control nature have been severely tested this summer in Florida, and humans — as well as nature — are losing. The rains that have pummeled South Florida have been the heaviest in 45 years, pushing Lake Okeechobee to the brim of the man-made, earthen dike that surrounds it. The risk of overflow has forced the release of excess water into the estuaries of the St. Lucie River to the east and the Caloosahatchee River to the west.

The New York Times wrote: "The rush of freshwater from the lake and the estuaries' own river basins, along with the pollutants carried in from farms, ranches, septic tanks and golf courses, has crippled the estuaries and, on the east coast of the state, the Indian River Lagoon."

The estuaries and the 156-mile-long lagoon — which need a natural balance of saltwater and freshwater to be breeding grounds for marine life — have been overwhelmed by the inflow. Manatees, fish, shellfish and sea grass had massive kills.

Communities on both coasts that depend on the estuaries for commercial fishing and recreation have been harmed as well and have protested to their elected officials. State officials, from Gov. Rick Scott on down, have vowed to help them.

But, as Florida's rains continue, so will the releases from Lake Okeechobee into the rivers. The only alternative would be to let the lake overflow, flooding farms and communities to the south.

ONCE A ‘RIVER OF GRASS'

It wasn't always this way. Before Okeechobee was encircled by towns and agricultural lands, its summer overflow would wash south through the Everglades, creating the "river of grass" that author and environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas described.

But, as Alvarez points out, after two hurricanes struck in the 1920s — flooding the lake region and killing 2,500 people — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the 143-mile earthen dike. Then the corps made matters worse by channeling water from the Kissimmee River into the lake to prevent flooding in the north. As a result, during the rainy season, water pours into Okeechobee much faster than the corps — which oversees the lake's dike and locks — can pump it out.

The outcry from communities have gotten attention. Gov. Scott has visited the affected areas and proposed spending $130 million on two projects: One would let more water from Okeechobee be filtered, treated and released into the Everglades and the other would clean more of the water that flows into the St. Lucie. (A similar treatment project is planned for the Caloosahatchee.)

Also, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz created the Senate Select Committee on Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin. The committee, he said, "will investigate policies, spending, and any other governmental activities affecting water management" in the region.

The chairman of the new committee, Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, whose district includes parts of St. Lucie and Indian River counties, said in August, "What I want to focus my attention on from now until the beginning of the year is what things can we do short-term to lower the amount of water pouring into our community."

WEAK ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD

But whether Scott and the Legislature can and will work to reduce the outflow, and clean up the discharge is questionable.

Last month, a group representing state employees who work in environmental regulation released a report showing that enforcement of Florida's environmental laws had fallen sharply under Scott took office with a pro-business, anti-regulation agenda.

The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility report says that after Scott named former shipyard attorney Herschel Vinyard to head the Department of Environmental Protection in 2011, enforcement dropped. The DEP opened 1,587 cases in 2010 but just 663 last year, the report said. Voluntary consent orders fell from 1,249 in 2010 to 482 last year, along with penalties assessed and fines collected.

"This is nothing more than that department taking a blind eye, looking the other way when these facilities pollute," said Jerry Phillips, director of Florida PEER, told The Associated Press.

If Scott and the Legislature have changed and truly want to address the Okeechobee crisis, it will take time and billions of dollars in state and federal funds. Then maybe they can restore a semblance of what nature intended.

<p>Human efforts to control nature have been severely tested this summer in Florida, and humans — as well as nature — are losing. The rains that have pummeled South Florida have been the heaviest in 45 years, pushing Lake Okeechobee to the brim of the man-made, earthen dike that surrounds it. The risk of overflow has forced the release of excess water into the estuaries of the St. Lucie River to the east and the Caloosahatchee River to the west.</p><p>The New York Times wrote: "The rush of freshwater from the lake and the estuaries' own river basins, along with the pollutants carried in from farms, ranches, septic tanks and golf courses, has crippled the estuaries and, on the east coast of the state, the Indian River Lagoon."</p><p>The estuaries and the 156-mile-long lagoon — which need a natural balance of saltwater and freshwater to be breeding grounds for marine life — have been overwhelmed by the inflow. Manatees, fish, shellfish and sea grass had massive kills.</p><p>Communities on both coasts that depend on the estuaries for commercial fishing and recreation have been harmed as well and have protested to their elected officials. State officials, from Gov. Rick Scott on down, have vowed to help them.</p><p>But, as Florida's rains continue, so will the releases from Lake Okeechobee into the rivers. The only alternative would be to let the lake overflow, flooding farms and communities to the south.</p><p>ONCE A 'RIVER OF GRASS'</p><p>It wasn't always this way. Before Okeechobee was encircled by towns and agricultural lands, its summer overflow would wash south through the Everglades, creating the "river of grass" that author and environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas described.</p><p>But, as Alvarez points out, after two hurricanes struck in the 1920s — flooding the lake region and killing 2,500 people — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the 143-mile earthen dike. Then the corps made matters worse by channeling water from the Kissimmee River into the lake to prevent flooding in the north. As a result, during the rainy season, water pours into Okeechobee much faster than the corps — which oversees the lake's dike and locks — can pump it out.</p><p>The outcry from communities have gotten attention. Gov. Scott has visited the affected areas and proposed spending $130 million on two projects: One would let more water from Okeechobee be filtered, treated and released into the Everglades and the other would clean more of the water that flows into the St. Lucie. (A similar treatment project is planned for the Caloosahatchee.)</p><p>Also, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz created the Senate Select Committee on Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin. The committee, he said, "will investigate policies, spending, and any other governmental activities affecting water management" in the region.</p><p>The chairman of the new committee, Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, whose district includes parts of St. Lucie and Indian River counties, said in August, "What I want to focus my attention on from now until the beginning of the year is what things can we do short-term to lower the amount of water pouring into our community."</p><p>WEAK ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD</p><p>But whether Scott and the Legislature can and will work to reduce the outflow, and clean up the discharge is questionable.</p><p>Last month, a group representing state employees who work in environmental regulation released a report showing that enforcement of Florida's environmental laws had fallen sharply under Scott took office with a pro-business, anti-regulation agenda.</p><p>The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility report says that after Scott named former shipyard attorney Herschel Vinyard to head the Department of Environmental Protection in 2011, enforcement dropped. The DEP opened 1,587 cases in 2010 but just 663 last year, the report said. Voluntary consent orders fell from 1,249 in 2010 to 482 last year, along with penalties assessed and fines collected.</p><p>"This is nothing more than that department taking a blind eye, looking the other way when these facilities pollute," said Jerry Phillips, director of Florida PEER, told The Associated Press.</p><p>If Scott and the Legislature have changed and truly want to address the Okeechobee crisis, it will take time and billions of dollars in state and federal funds. Then maybe they can restore a semblance of what nature intended.</p>